


Masada

by Minne_My



Category: Original Work
Genre: Mountains, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-30
Updated: 2020-01-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:07:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22477636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Minne_My/pseuds/Minne_My
Summary: On Masada
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	Masada

The wind blows her parched hair across her face; the air is heavy with dust and the smell of empty echoes. Struggling up the winding snake path, water flasks clinking with exertion, she tries to think of how far she’s climbed. The morning sky shrouds her as she picks her way to the next point; dark ghostly figures below and above make their laborious way up like groups of ants. Ants upon a monstrous mountain, the top never seeming in sight, the height of Ancient siege, the peak of the ruin that they were about to discover.

The landscape lies like a sleeping dragon, dark wings unfurled in a soft velvet swirl across the ground, claws curled up as tight as the scorpion’s sting, deep breaths fluttering the air, fanning the weary travellers on their way.

 _‘Not long to go now’_ she hears, like a sigh murmuring its way around the spiral of footsteps. Imprinting a part of herself into the ground with a heavy tread, she rounds the corner and sees of all things, a safeguard to her journey. By herself, on a lonely path, the solitary traveller spots a ladder. An unlikely thing to be there, a ladder on each level would have been a help. Why here? Surely an angel was sent to place it there, for who else would be kind enough to the novice on the path? The air breathes again, whistling softly in her ear, a subtle encouragement as she sets her feet on the rungs and pulls herself up, each reach like a stretch to her soul.

One step,

Two step,

Three steps more…

Is she there yet? Her feet finds sturdy ground as she stares at the vast expanse of clear sky and sand stretching out before her, the brightening light showing her the way to the centre, surrounded by misshapen rocks, crumbling watchtower and colourful people. Resting her bag by the edge, she looks out to the growing dawn as it arrives in a fiery blaze to wake the world. The distance shimmers a long way away from the broad ledge, spotted and streaked with hues of yellow and orange, burnt umber and patches of purple bruising the stretch of sunshine. The air alight with words, scents and surprises, settle down to a gradual hum of contentment. She looks out to the light and smiles at the jewel in the sky that has been waiting so patiently for its time to shine. And where better to show itself off than on top of Masada? 


End file.
